The use of cellulose materials in preparing foodstuffs that are high in dietary fiber content and reduced in calorie content has been disclosed in a variety of patents including U.S. Pat. No. 3,023,104, Battista, issued Feb. 27, 1962, which discloses cellulose crystallite aggregates as a non-nutritive ingredient in food; U.S. Pat. No. 3,676,150, Glicksman et al., issued July 11, 1972, which discloses low-calorie flours comprising gums, starch and alpha-cellulose; U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,580, Torres, issued Aug. 26, 1980, which discloses flour substitutes containing purified plant cellulose, modified starches, xanthan gum, and lecithin; U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,018, Thompson, issued Aug. 22, 1978, which discloses low-calorie diet bread and dough compositions for making said bread containing from 10 to 20 parts by weight of alpha-cellulose flour; U.S. Pat. No. 4,238,517, Bosley, Jr., et al., issued Dec. 9, 1980, which discloses French fried potato products comprising cellulose; U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,979,523, Titcomb et al., issued Sept. 7, 1976, and 4,590,076, Titcomb et al., issued May 20, 1986, which disclose reduced-calorie bread compositions incorporating alpha-cellulose substituents at a level of from 20 to 25 parts by weight of the flour used in the dough; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,431,681, Hegedus et al., issued Feb. 14, 1984; 4,451,490, Silverman et al., issued May 29, 1984; and 4,503,083, Glicksman et al., issued Mar. 5, 1985, all of which disclose reduced-calorie cakes containing at least 40% moisture, all of said patents being incorporated herein by reference.
There has been much effort expended recently to devise, high-fiber, reduced-calorie breads. Many such bread products that are currently being sold replace part of the flour in a standard full-calorie bread formulation with non-caloric dietary fiber and the water absorbed by said dietary fiber. Reduced-calorie white breads are generally considered to be those that contain at least 33% fewer calories than standard white bread that typically contains about 73 kcal per ounce. Achieving this 33% reduction, to about 49 kcal per ounce, requires the use of a high level, i.e., about 10% "total dietary fiber" (TDF). TDF is defined as that portion of plant cells that cannot be digested by human alimentary enzymes and, therefore, cannot be absorbed from human small bowels. Examples include celluloses, hemicelluloses, lignin, soluble and insoluble gums and pectins, mucilages, algal polysaccharides, modified celluloses, etc. TDF is determined by the currently FDA-recognized, analytical method developed by L. Prosky et al., AACC Method 32-05; AOAC Method 43.A14-43.A20. The TDF that is analyzed in a finished loaf of high-fiber white bread can be comprised of the supplemented dietary fiber, fiber from the bread flour itself, fiber from any gluten flour or any other high-protein flour used, stabilizing gums, and/or modified celluloses.
High-fiber white breads are usually deficient in one or more characteristics such as dough handleability, loaf volume, crumb color, texture, grain, crust appearance, aroma, mouthfeel, or taste. These deficiencies usually result from the loss of structural functionality associated with the flour that is removed. The gases formed by the leavening action of, e.g., the yeast, are not properly contained and/or the expanded structure is not sufficiently strong to maintain its structure when the gases cool. Accordingly, adjustments are usually made in the high-fiber bread formulations and/or processing to help compensate for the loss of structure.
Powdered cellulose fiber is the preferred dietary fiber for white bread since it can be readily bleached, is bland, is easily handled, has high TDF content and water absorption, and is available in large quantities at reasonable cost and high purity.
A typical source of cellulose is wood. Typically, wood-derived cellulose provides a good bread and costs less, but has undesirable connotations. Consumers prefer vegetable fibers that are derived from other sources that are more closely identified with food and do not evoke thoughts of "splinters" or "sawdust."